The present invention relates to a fastener for an elongated component comprising a clamp for holding an elongated component such as a pipe or wire harness and a body secured to an attachment component such as a body panel, in which the elongated component is attached to the attachment component by holding the elongated component in the clamp and by securing the body to the attachment component.
Fasteners for elongated components comprising a clamp for holding an elongated component such as a pipe or wire harness and a body secured to an attachment component such as a body panel, in which the elongated component is attached to the attachment component by holding the elongated component in the clamp and by securing the body to the attachment component, are well known in the art. When an elongated component such as a pipe is fastened to an attachment component such as a body panel, preventing the transmission of vibrations from the pipe to the body panel and preventing transmission of vibrations from the body panel to the pipe are desired. The most commonly used anti-vibration means is a resilient soft material such as rubber. This is attached to the bottom surface of the clamp receiving the pipe to reduce the transmission of vibrations.
Prior art patent documents include:    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-246209    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 11-336717    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-343006    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-230674    [Patent Document 5] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2008-075785
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Applications No. 10-246209, No. 11-336717, and No. 2001-343006 describe fasteners for elongated components in which an anti-vibration material made of a resilient soft material such as an elastomer or rubber is applied to reduce the transmission of vibrations. The requirement of an anti-vibration material such as a resilient soft material is a disadvantage in these fasteners. It places restrictions on the molding process and, when the elongated component is inserted into the clamp, the frictional resistance of the resilient elastic material is great and so a large amount of force is required to get the clamp to hold the elongated component. Also, the anti-vibration material sometimes ruptures during the holding operation.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-230674 describes a fastener in which one of a plurality of clamps is molded in two colors and a soft material is interposed between the integrally molded hard material of the clamp and the hard material of the body, the soft material serving as the anti-vibration material for reducing the transmission of vibrations. In this fastener, the need for a soft material as the anti-vibration material is also a disadvantage. Because two color molding is also required, the molding process is more expensive and time-consuming. A clamp without a soft material is also installed in the fastener, and the pipe is held by a pair of leaf springs at the bottom of the clamp. However, because the leaf springs on the bottom of the clamp are integrally molded with the body, vibrations from the leaf springs are transmitted to the body. In other words, it does not have a vibration absorbing effect.
The holder for an elongated component described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2008-075785 has a configuration in which the transmission of vibrations is prevented without requiring a resilient soft material such as rubber in the clamp. In this fastener, the plurality of clamps has thin portions connected to the body, and the deflection of the thin portions inhibits the transmission of vibrations. Because the fastener is connected to the body via thin portions, strong vibrations cannot be absorbed, and the connection between the clamp and the body is not very strong. In other words, it is disadvantageous in terms of a reliable and permanent connection between an elongated component such as a pipe and an attachment component such as a body panel.